itunes
Since I use iTunes Match, every few days iTunes restores some of my old playlists that I previously deleted. I think these are only the default playlists that iTunes comes with (Classical music, Music videos, Recently added, …) but I'm not totally sure. At the same time, the "iTunes Match" link reappears in my sidebar, even though I can't do anything with it.
What triggers the reappearence of my old playlists? How can I prevent it and get rid of these playlists forever?
There are a couple of potential solutions to this problem. I say potential because everyone's listening habits and needs are different, so your mileage may vary. Here goes:
The Smart Playlist problem is not new, and certainly not unique in your case. There seems to be an overall problem with Smart Playlist syncing through iTunes Match (1) across different devices, (2) with any expediency (usually takes >= 48 hours), and (3) with respect to honoring certain rules (e.g., number of songs allowed). Another common theme seems to be that "nested" playlists cause even more of a problem than standard Smart Playlists. Nested lists are those that are created when you use your option key to turn the + into an ellipsis (...), which creates a sub-rule for your master rule.
Solution 1: Dumb it down
Create a standard playlist (Dumb) and give it the same name as your Smart playlist. Copy the content from Smart to Dumb. Sync your device, computer, whatever. Rinse, wash, repeat for each Smart Playlist you want to have properly represented on your other devices. This works.
Solution 2: Really Dumb it Down
Do your best to avoid the aforementioned nested playlists. This may require you to build several smaller smart playlists with limited criteria. Not the easiest workaround, but we're going for functionality here, right?
Solution 3: Really make your "Recently Added" folder songs that are "Recently Added"
For your "Recently Added" folder, tack on just one more rule to force songs added after a date, rather than only within the last two weeks (see pic below)
So, I hope this gets you at least a little closer to your goal. I tried to add as much info as I could here since, one more time: everyone's listening and categorizing habits are different :-)
You may find other variations on these, but do realize that, at least for now, this is a server-side problem and workarounds like these represent the best available solutions.
I dissected the XML file a bit and it turned out to be a XML property list (sort of a XML-based JSON equlivant), so it becomes easier to handle. If the files affected have the same name not counting its extension, some Objective-C can be laid down to change it. Do you have Xcode installed or should I prepackage it for you?
Best Answer
Try Store -> "Update iTunes Match" to make sure the changes are synchronized.